Murray capitalises as Gasquet flakes

Thanks Nigel for the report, and thanks Andy for the win - all the sweeter for the dodgy first set. I thought the booing was hilarious, as was Gasquet (and AK) getting bothered that Andy sometimes rubbed his back! At least the crowd (what there was of it) cared, and Andy clearly enjoyed it.“It was almost like playing a football match. And I like football. Today was the most fun I’ve had on the court in a while, so I wasn’t shying away from the fact that the crowd wanted me to lose.”

To be honest, I think that report is unduly harsh on Gasquet. He played pretty well - Murray was simple too strong in the third and fourth sets. Hard to do much when your opponent is crashing winners from all parts of the court, as Murray fans know all too well...

To be honest, I think that report is unduly harsh on Gasquet. He played pretty well - Murray was simple too strong in the third and fourth sets. Hard to do much when your opponent is crashing winners from all parts of the court, as Murray fans know all too well...

Unduly harsh? Pot, kettle etcIt's just not going to happen today. Story of every slam he's played in. Boogers at 5.43

For me, the biggest unanswered question from today is why the stadium was half-full (half-empty?) for a top 20 French player playing in the last 16 of the French Open. I know they tend to saunter in slowly around lunchtime, but this was the height of the evening schedule.

You used to have to be a registered tennis player to watch at Roland Garros. There was never an empty seat in the house.

They might have 11 players in the top 100, but something's sadly amiss with French tennis.

To be honest, I think that report is unduly harsh on Gasquet. He played pretty well - Murray was simple too strong in the third and fourth sets. Hard to do much when your opponent is crashing winners from all parts of the court, as Murray fans know all too well...

Murray dug in at the start of the 2nd set, Gasquet wilted and from there Andy had free rein to show off his skills. He knew he'd broken Reechard's weak heart.

Enjoyed that bbh. I hadn't realised that at the end the crowd were booing Gasquet and cheering Andy; difficult to tell when you're not there. Apparently Andy attributed the poor first set to nerves rather than racquet tension. According to I think Frew Macmillan who I heard commentating when I watched again on eurotrash match of the day, Henri Laconte [who I've never liked] did a Virginia Creeper in L'Equipe so perhaps many of the crowd were convinced Andy was faking, when he clutched his back, which he said had been stiff which is not surprising in those weather conditions. I too was surprised that there were so many empty seats. Perhaps the Parisians didn't want to watch their guy baguetted by Andy yet again.Thinking about Gasquet - he's clearly an incredibly talented player and apparently at the outset was the most talented of that cohort ie Andy, Nole, Rafa. I wonder whether his failure to stay up in the top 10 is not just due to his mental frailty but because he's not done the hard graft physical work that the others have done - or at least it looks like it to me. And the mental/physical strength seem to be linked to some extent anyway. Oh and one last thought about Andy. Yesterday's conditions were the kind he has tended to come unstuck in in the past - cold and damp. And yet he played some scintillating tennis. I think that shows a real step forwards. Very exciting. And perhaps the Lendl effect really is showing now esp in those fh winners.

And the mental/physical strength seem to be linked to some extent anyway.

Yes, mental strength is linked to physical, and Gasquet spends the off-season in nightclubs while Murray and co are running on the beach. He's basically the archetypal playboy who wastes his talent. He was famously on the cover of Tennis magazine when he was nine and I think it's left him with a sort of everything-will-come-easy, showbiz feel about it all.